People are deliberately avoiding Killarney town because of the chronic traffic congestion which is having a hugely negative impact on business and is leading to growing frustration, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has complained.
The organisation’s executive said traffic chaos, which appears worse this year than ever before, is now the biggest single issue for the town to contend with and it needs to be addressed as a matter of absolute priority.
The Chamber has urged the Department of Transport, as well as Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Road Safety Authority, to act immediately by identifying the preferred route for the new N22 Farranfore to Killarney project.
In 2003, a route corridor was identified but the project was suspended due to the prevailing economic circumstances at the time.
In 2019, Kerry County Council, in consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, recommenced a review of the scheme to consider and assess all options which could improve the transport connectivity between Farranfore and Killarney and onwards to Tralee and Cork.
Now, five years on, little progress has been made.
Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has urged Kerry’s TDs and senators to use their access to the minister and department officials to demand that they deliver progress on the N22 project – for starters.
Now is the opportune time to secure that commitment with a general election looming, the business organisation said.
“It has been going on far too long and it is now the ultimate Kerry joke. Motorists are encountering absolute gridlock on all the approach roads and in the town centre on a daily basis and it’s time for action,” the Chamber said.
“The chronic, daily traffic back-up in Killarney town centre and on all the approach roads has now reached crisis proportions,” the Chamber added.
“It is far too simplistic to suggest that it is merely a seasonal problem and an indicator of the town’s success because that is of little consolation to those who are late for work, missing trains and buses, late for medical appointments and caught up in snarling traffic for what seems like an age”.
The town business representative body said it is very much aware and fully acknowledges that the matter has been raised time and again by the elected members and officials of Killarney Municipal District Council and Kerry County Council but repeated appeals appear to be falling on deaf ears.
Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Maura Healy-Rae, has called a special meeting for this Thursday morning to disciuss the traffic dilemma and the chamber said it is more that willing to play itspart in supportof the council’s campaign for action.
Pledging its full backing to representations made by councillors and calling on the government agencies to act, the Chamber wants:
- The preferred Farranfore to Killarney route to be identified and funding to be provided to deliver the project before the end of this decade.
- A fast decision on the long-promised Bohereen-Na-Goun inner relief road, from New Street to Monsignor O’Flaherty Road, to ease town centre congestion.Funding to be provided, as a matter of priority, for a planned strategic link road from the Killarney Bypass to Park Road.
- Urgent improvements on the Killarney Bypass Road including the new junctions to and from Lewis Road and Kilcummin for which planning permission has been obtained.
- Additional resources to be provided to An Garda Siochána to ensure congested roundabouts are policed at busier times.
- The creation of more parking options to ease the congestion caused by motorists circling the town.
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